This invention relates to a prefabricated modular wall element.
Generally speaking, the construction of decorative skills such as boundary walls or exterior walls in houses tends to be relatively time consuming and expensive and also skilled bricklayers or masons are required to build the wall. Foundations have to be laid and then typically a block or brick wall is built on the foundations. For constructing a stone wall, the procedures is even more time consuming with the construction of a stone wall on one or both sides of a backing wall of blocks or the like. There are also problems with theft of the stone building materials and vandalism using the stone when the stone is on site awaiting construction of the wall.
The present invention is directed towards overcoming these problems.
According to the invention, there is provided a prefabricated modular wall element comprising a precast reinforced concrete wall panel having a front face with a plurality of spaced-apart individual slabs of stone or brick partially embedded in the front face of the panel and projecting outwardly therefrom having channels formed between the slabs, said slabs being arranged on the front face such that the front face simulates a wall constructed of stone or brick building elements.
In a particularly preferred embodiment, stone slabs are arranged on the front face to give the impression of a solid stone wall.
It will be appreciated that advantageously the modular wall elements can be readily easily mass manufactured in a factory environment and then transported on site, a number of the panels being supported upright edge to edge to rapidly form the decorative wall. The skill required to build a natural stone, brick or block wall is not needed and the wall can be constructed by unskilled labourers which provides a further cost saving for the builder.
In a particular preferred embodiment, two or more spaced-apart support legs are provided at a bottom of the wall panel. This is a particularly convenient feature in that to support the panel, a foundation trench can be dug and then the panel stood upright in the trench. With the panel supported upright, concrete is poured into the trench covering the bottom of the panel, the legs on the panel keying the panel into the concrete foundation. It will be appreciated that this greatly simplifies wall construction as a number of panels are simply supported end to end along a foundation trench which is then infilled with the concrete foundation material which, when it sets, provides a rapidly constructed wall.
In another embodiment, the legs are integrally formed with the wall panel.
In a further embodiment, the legs project forwardly and rearwardly of the front face and a rear face respectively of the wall element.
In another embodiment, each leg has a slot in the top of the leg for complementary reception of a bottom of the wall panel.
In a further embodiment, the wall element has means for interlocking a pair of the wall elements end to end.
In a preferred embodiment, said interlocking means is a tongue and groove joint, a tongue being provided along one end face of the wall panel and a groove being provided in an opposite end face of the wall panel. Thus conveniently, when assembling a wall, a tongue at an end of one panel engages a complementary groove in the abutting edge of an adjacent panel.
It will be appreciated that two separate panels might be provided, one panel with tongues at both ends and the other panel with grooves at both ends, alternate types of panels being arranged in line to form the wall.
For corner joints, panels may be provided with bevelled ends.
In another embodiment, a capping element is provided for engagement with a top of the wall. To allow capping of the wall, slots may be provided along a top face of the wall panel with associated capping elements engaging with the slots to secure the capping elements on the top of the wall panel.
Also, if desired, the wall panel may be in the shape of a pier for mounting at an end of a run of panels, say for defining an entrance or the like.
In a preferred embodiment, grouting such as cement or mortar is provided in the channels between the slabs. This has to further give the impression that the wall formed of the panels is a natural stone or brick wall.
In a particularly preferred embodiment, the slabs are embedded in the concrete panel to a depth of at least 38 mm. The thickness of the slabs is typically in the range 50-75 mm. Ideally, the wall panel should be at least 150 mm thick.
In a further embodiment, a rear face of the wall panel also has a plurality of slabs partially embedded therein such that the rear face simulates a wall constructed of stone or brick. This is obviously desirable where both sides of the wall are open to viewing.
In another aspect, the invention provides a method for manufacturing a modular wall element of the type described herein comprising the steps:
preparing a mould,
placing a reinforcing mesh in the mould,
pouring concrete into the mould, and
before the concrete sets, embedding a plurality of the slabs in the concrete.
In a still further aspect, the invention provides a method for constructing a wall comprising a number of the modular wall elements comprising the steps:
preparing a foundation trench,
mounting a number of the wall elements end to end in the trench,
pouring concrete into the trench, said concrete encasing a bottom of each wall element to form a foundation in which the wall element are embedded.